Mannie
by dhalpin3
Summary: Always like Manual and Illyana interactions (although he never did). I always got the impressions that he was one step away from losing control of his bladder. This story is set just before Utopia and just after the New Mutants come back from rescuing Dani and Karma.


**Mannie**

Author's note: Always like Manuel and Illyana interactions (although he never did). I always got the impressions that he was one step away from losing control of his bladder. This story is set just before Utopia and jest after the New Mutants come back from rescuing Dani and Karma.

The voice came out off the darkness, which was not really describing it well. All voices now came out of the darkness for Manuel.

He was stuck in this Fing cell, eating Fing crap, while listening to Fing moralizing. Struck blind by that Fing fairy girl and her Fing dagger. And blocked from using his God given Fing powers as was his Fing right by the same Fing dagger that had struck him blind.

Ever have to take a crap in the dark and figure out if you've wiped enough? It Fing sucks.

 _"I wouldn't house my dogs in such Fing accommodations"_ was a common complaint from Manuel. Which was actually correct.

Manuel was not an imaginative curser. Fing was the most predominant derogatory term followed closely by how dare you treat a del la Rocha this way. Yes his jailors found him tiresome on many levels.

The only thing that made it slightly less completely intolerable was Amanda would visit him. All in all this was a new low even for him. To think a de la Rocha sunk to such levels. How the others must mock him, sight unseen.

And then that voice. It... it spoke. Voices in the darkness were sounds from people. The sounds were in the darkness but not off the darkness.

This voice came out of the darkness. Quiet, not loud. Not hissy or filled with anger. The voice was not really filled with anything other then... that kind of curiosity a person has when finding a forgotten thing. A slight questioning tone (gee what is this? Is it of value? Should I keep it or throw it away?)

 _"Hiya Mannie"._

Shit.

It's her.

I heard she was back.

Manuel answered as best he could. He tried to project a casual tone, but the tremor gave it all away.

 _"Mmmagik"?_

The voice shifted location. Before it had been in front of him, like outside of his cell. Now it was on his left side. Like somebody was sitting on the cot right next to him.

 _"Right in one guess, although I suppose it wasn't really a guess"._

Manuel was very very still. Ass pucker factor was set to max.

Be quick and to the point some part of his mind was screaming at him. _"What do you want of me"?_

He could feel the voice smile. It wasn't a nice smile. Now the voice was over his head.

 _"I heard you were here. Thought I'd take a look"._

Some part of Manuel still had some pride, likely a stupid part, but an honest part.

 _"You must be so happy to see me so reduced. Come to gloat or just to torture"._

Shit. I can't believe I just said that. What am I, Fing stupid.? Don't piss her off. Piss off everybody you know first before pissing **her** off.

Now the voice oozed from beneath the cot.

 _"Oh the cub valiantly snarls. No Mannie. Your situation means nothing to me. You mean nothing to me"._

Shit. Shit. Shit. _"So why are you here"?_

Now the voice was behind him and he could swear there were two hands massaging his back.

 _"I come offering a... bargain. An opportunity"._

Potential. A spark was lit in his arrogance. _"What do you offer me"?_

A whisper in his ear. _"Sight... and your powers restored"._

Well this was wealth beyond reckoning for one in such a state. But there was a catch. There always was a catch. _"What must I do"?_

The voice was direct, the tone flat. In front of him. He could feel the breeze from her mouth, smell a faint scent of jasmine.

 _"Make me feel"._

The request was confusing. _"Feel what"?_

 _"Something other than this. Something nice. Love would be a good start"._

 _"My powers are blocked, you must first free me and restore my sight"._

 _"Done, the magical block on your powers are temporarily lifted; but sight is... not necessary"._

Now for the tricky part. _"You need to lower your mental shields so I can see your mind"._

 _"Done as well. Try little man. Try"._

He tried. Love me he poured into her. Love me forever. Be my only. Be my beloved. **Feel**. It all went... it went into the darkness. It fell and was lost.

Nothing.

Nothing at all.

It was like he breathed on a glowing ember only to have it do nothing at all

He heard a sigh. _"As I suspected"._

He pretended he had not tried to enslave her. _"I did as you commanded"._

 _"Huh? Oh that"._ Again that not nice smile could be felt.

 _"Mannie that was the least of my concerns. You failed. Your powers are again blocked"._

Now he heard footsteps walking away, yet they were walking away not through his cell door but off to his left where there was nothing but wall. The footsteps were getting distant.

Manuel cried out to the fading footsteps. _"And what of me"?_

The footsteps stopped. Then that smile again, it sent shivers down his back.

" _What of you? Goodbye Mannie"_ Then the footsteps continued and faded out.


End file.
